Arnold opens UK's largest Renault site 28 | 12 | 2015
SCOTS CAR GIANT, Arnold Clark — Europe’s largest independently owned automotive retail group — has opened the biggest dealership in the entire Renault Group UK dealer network.
The flagship Hillington franchise adjoins Arnold Clark’s brand-new, 90,000sq/ft Renfrewshire headquarters located on Hillington Industrial Park, and the group’s decision to complement its new home with the UK’s most impressive Renault dealership strengthens its longstanding relationship with Renault Group UK.
Measuring 15,823sq/ft, the new facility incorporates a 23-car showroom that features the new Renault Store concept with interactive car configurator and iPad-equipped ‘Brand Bar’.
Arnold Clark’s previous East Lane Paisley and Pollokshaws Road dealerships are consolidated into the new dealership, offering private and business customers vastly enhanced facilities that are complemented with already established sales and after sales teams. Selling in the region of 1200 new vehicles a year, the Hillington dealership is also a designated Renaultsport Specialist and Pro+ Specialist, offering high-performance Renault enthusiasts and fleet buyers a level of service that is tailored to their requirements.
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Additional customer benefits include an extensive new and used car display of up to 400 vehicles, 11-bay workshop with the latest diagnostic equipment, EV charging points and both static and automated car wash facilities. Once complete, the 11-acre Arnold Clark headquarters will also provide visitors with an onsite café and outdoor seating area.
Arnold Clark has represented Renault for more than 40 years, the group choosing the brand as its first foreign car franchise in 1974. The cutting-edge Hillington dealership takes the group’s nationwide Renault dealerships to 20 and reaffirms Arnold Clark’s status as the UK’s biggest privately-owned Renault retail partner.
The opening of the Hillington site comes at a very exciting time for Renault and Arnold Clark. Renault Group UK is enjoying strong growth in vehicle sales and the rapid expansion of its dealer network, the latter a key part of its GO5+ strategy to increase market share and brand opinion, while 2014 was the most successful year for Arnold Clark in the 60 years it has been trading – the group registering a 12.3% increase in turnover to £3.2 billion.
Arnold Clark has also recently completed a striking rebrand and the build of its headquarters will see it bring its marketing, finance and digital product development divisions under one roof for the first time.
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The group’s directors will be based at Hillington and the new high-tech HQ will house 500 personnel in a contemporary setting that also pays homage to the group’s heritage.
“Our history with Renault, together with our desire to improve the facilities of our existing franchises in the area, made it a logical decision to incorporate a brand new dealership into our Hillington development," David Munton, Renault Franchise Director, Arnold Clark, said.
“Our experiences of working with Renault Group have been excellent and we’ve enjoyed a great deal of success with the brand. Its cars are very popular with our customers, the Clio and Megane previously being the best-selling new vehicles in Scotland, and this year alone we expect to sell in the region of 18,000 vehicles across our Renault franchises.
“The Renault Group brands are very important to Arnold Clark and their increasing popularity presents us with the opportunity to establish further dealerships in areas where we can improve our group’s presence.”
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Jim McGill